Xander centric Episode Discussion 1

[SpikedBuffy]

Okay, we talked about the eps that we wanted to discuss that revolved around Xander. So, let's do it!

And someone make sure they post after Spirit_of_Fred, so she doesn't feel like a thread stopper! :) j/k honey!

Discussion start date: September 16, 2006
Discussion end date: September 23, 2006

Episodes to be discussed: The Pack, Bewitched, Bothered and Bewildered and The Zeppo

Talk about these early Xander-centric episodes, focusing on the character development. We'll do another discussion next week on the later episodes.

[Spirit_Of_Fred]

And someone make sure they post after Spirit_of_Fred, so she doesn't feel like a thread stopper! :) j/k honey!


hm...i was wondering why no one else was posting besides me...;)

what shall i say today? hm...? you all know i always think of something, so ill just start babbling and i guess it'll come to me. :) well, he's an awesome charcter, ill say that! i love xander; he rocks! i think 'the zeppo' was a great episode for him. he did a lot of important stuff in it, and not to get all moral-of-the-story, but it showed that even the people who dont do as much, or dont have superpowers, etc. can do great things. he saved the school from blowing up...which i guess is ironic since it blew up anyway. oh, he kind of realized how lucky he was not to be involved in all the demonic craziness all the time (which kind of changes by the end anyway). and i guess that the fact that he chose not to tell anyone about it shows that he didnt need to brag about how he saved the world and stuff; he just needed to know he was great and no one else did. ok, this all sounds incoherent, stupid, and shorter than usual, and im tempted to delete it all, but instead ill stop here and post it, leaving you guys plenty more to say! :D

[SpikedBuffy]

Agreed. I do like how even though Xander was not given an actual superpower, he is still one who can 'save the world'. It makes him very noble.

I didn't really like The Pack. Even though it has great Xander moments in it, it just doesn't really sum him up completely. We don't really see that until the Zeppo.

[Spirit_Of_Fred]

well in 'the pack', he was possessed a lot of the time, so i guess it kind of makes sense that it didnt sum "him" up :).

also, even though im not a big fan of xander and cordy, i think it was very sweet for him to get her the necklace in 'bewitched, bothered, and bewildered'. i think that when he cares about someone, he cares deeply and does a lot for them. getting her the necklace said something about his character in my opinion. possibly (im just babbling and theorizing again) it also says about him that he feels inadequate, and like he needs to get cordy a beautiful gift to make sure he keeps her around, cause he likes her, but doesnt see how she could like him. also in the episode, he got his first personal experience (i think; it was at least one of the earliest and biggest) with the dangers of casting spells to make things the way you want.

[Buffy Summers]

I sort of feel like Xander in the series represents Joss himself...don't ask me where that came from lol

[Spirit_Of_Fred]

I sort of feel like Xander in the series represents Joss himself...don't ask me where that came from lol

i think i read about that in a biography or interview or something. he said something about how he was kind of like the average-joe outsider or whatever in high school or college, and xander was also that type of character, and the lines he wrote and way he acted and stuff sort of came from him...i dont really remember.

[zombie.apparatus]

well that would make a lot of sense.. i always got that vibe.. that xander was in some way at least like Joss.. i love xander more when he was out of high school... in the first 3 seasons he wasnt a fav character.. he grew on me but.. total cutie ;)

GO XANDER... and i love Bewitched, Bothered and Bewildered... such a funny ep.. :D

[VisionGuy]

I reallys disliked Xander in the first three seasons mainly because of his crush on Buffy and how jealous he always got. But he did grow on me in season 4.

[zombie.apparatus]

yeah i think that is what i didnt like.. the whole "i have a crush on buffy" thing... i didnt like it.. especially cos i am an bangel fan and he was like jelous and stuff..

[Spirit_Of_Fred]

i cant exactly relate. i didnt start watching from the beginning so i didnt see all this liking buffy stuff till later. though when i did, i didnt like it, because i like buffy/angel and xander/anya. he did take a bit to grow on me from where i did watch him though, but pretty much everyone did cause i had to get to know them first. im not sure if its harder when im not getting to know them from the beginning, or when i am, but back to xander...im curious, do the cordy/angel fans not like cordy and xander together also?

[VisionGuy]

I don't like or dislike Xander and Cordy together. I mean they did have their nice moments but they also had some bitter moments like the whole Willow/Xander affair, and how he sometimes talked down to her. Although Cordy did the same to him so it kinda worked out LOL

[Spirit_Of_Fred]

yeah, it's weird how even when they were together (except for their moments as VG said), they were mostly insulting each other. the whole relationship seemed mostly like a teen lust thing to me, even though they both claimed they felt they loved each other at times. ...meh, maybe im just too set on anya/xander :)

[SpikedBuffy]

I think that you could really get a better grasp on their 'love' (wether you want to call it that or not) after watching "Lovers Walk" and "The Wish". You could see that Xander really cared for Cordelia and and Cordelia was really crushed by Xander's betrayal. This shows that he had grown out of that lustiness and into something greater.

[Wanabee-slayer]

I think the Zeppo was a good episode for Xander it some very big turning points for him he lost his virginity and had a few near death experiences which is enough to change any person. Alos if you think about it Xander saved the world in that very episode. If not for him Buffy and the other scoobies would not have been able to stop the demon from the hellmouth due to the school blowing up!

[Spirit_Of_Fred]

or maybe it would've just blown up the demon, and then they wouldnt even have to fight it:silly:

[Wanabee-slayer]

But then the scooby gang would all be dead!

[Spirit_Of_Fred]

yeah, that would be bad...maybe he could warn them and get them out.